High-Level Political Forum 2019 – Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality

9-18 July 2019
UN HQ, New York 

The meeting of the high-level political forum on sustainable development in 2019 convened under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council, will be held from Tuesday, 9 July, to Thursday, 18 July 2019; including the three-day ministerial meeting of the forum (16-18 July 2019).

The theme will be "Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality". The set of goals to be reviewed in depth is the following:

  • Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
  • Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
  • Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
  • Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
  • Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
  • Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

For more information on Thematic SDG Reviews, click here.

In accordance with paragraph 84. of the 2030 Agenda, Member States have decided that the HLPF shall carry out regular voluntary reviews of the 2030 Agenda which will include developed and developing countries as well as relevant UN entities and other stakeholders. The reviews are state-led, involving ministerial and other relevant high-level participants, and provide a platform for partnerships, including through the participation of major groups and other relevant stakeholders.

In 2019, 51 countries (10 for the second time) have volunteered to present their national voluntary reviews to the HLPF. For more details, please click here.

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Food Governance Conference

3–5 July 2019
From 3 to 5 July 2019 the Sydney Law School and the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre will host the second Food Governance Conference in 2019.

Everybody eats; it is the key to our survival, but food also has the potential to compromise health. The global food system is challenged by issues of drought, climate change, trade, malnutrition, and exploited workers. Population growth and the forces of marketization have further compromised the ability of the food system to deliver safe, nutritious and sustainable food to the world's population.

The 2019 Food Governance Conference will explore how law, policy, and regulation address food system challenges or contribute to them at local, national, regional, and global levels. This includes issues such as food security, food safety, food sustainability, equity and social justice in global food systems, and nutrition: under/malnutrition, obesity, and noncommunicable disease.

While food-specific law and regulation will be a key focus of the Food Governance Conference, it will consider how broader legislative and policy regimes impede or facilitate access to a nutritious, equitable, and sustainable food supply, including economic, trade, and intellectual property regimes.

The conference takes a broad, interdisciplinary approach, in the hope of highlighting the interrelationships between the main challenges facing the global food system in the 21st century, and to create new opportunities for collaboration between researchers, policymakers and practitioners in the related fields of food safety, security, and sustainability, and diet-related health.

Opening public oration: Hilal Elver, UN Rapporteur on the Right to Food.

Conference details

Register for the conference here. 

Key dates

  • Abstract submission opens: 11 September 2018 - Submit your abstracts here. 
  • Abstract submission closes: 22 February 2019 
  • Notification to authors: 29 March 2019
  • Early bird registration closes: 3 May 2019
  • Closed workshops: 3 July 2019 (expressions of interest will be sought for running a workshop)
  • Opening public oration: 3 July 2019, 6-7.30pm
  • Main days of the conference: 4 July–5 July 2019
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Launch of the HLPE report “Agroecological and other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture and food systems that enhance food security and nutrition”

Wednesday 3rd July, 14.00-17.00 (Rome time)
Green Room (FAO HQ)

Ambassador Mario Arvelo, Chair of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and Dr Patrick Caron, Chairperson of its High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition (HLPE) are proud to announce the launch of the 14th report of the HLPE on Agroecological and other innovative approaches for sustainable agriculture and food systems that enhance food security and nutrition.

The Summary and Recommendations are available in English to download here (All other UN official languages will be available on July 2nd 2019)

The event will be chaired by Ambassador Mario Arvelo, Chair of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS). An opening address will be made by FAO’s Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department (AG) Assistant Director-General, Bukar Tijani.

Next steps: the Report will be edited and made available on-line in English within the next few days after the launch. It will be released in all UN official languages six weeks before the opening of the next plenary session of the CFS.

 

The event will be webcast live at: http://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/

The draft agenda of the event can be downloaded here

No registration is required; please contact the Secretariat at cfs-hlpe@fao.org if you need a building pass to attend the launch

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Online consultation – CFS policy process on the development of the Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition

Open until: 

The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and the FSN Forum are pleased to invite you to take part in the online consultation CFS policy process on the development of the Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition. 

You are invited to share your comments on the V0 Draft of the Voluntary Guidelines. Your inputs will feed into the preparation of the first draft, which will be negotiated in spring 2020. 

Further information is available online in English, French and Spanish. In preparing your contribution we kindly ask you to use the template for submissions, which is also available in English, French and Spanish.

To submit your contribution, you can upload your completed template as an attachment to your comment on the FSN Forum website or send it to FSN-moderator@fao.org.

The consultation will be open until 2 August 2019.

The e-consultation outcomes will contribute to the preparation of the First Draft of the Voluntary Guidelines, which will be negotiated in spring 2020. The final version of the Voluntary Guidelines will be then presented for consideration and endorsement by the CFS Plenary at its 47th Session in October 2020.

Through this e-consultation, CFS stakeholders are kindly invited to answer the following guiding questions using the proposed template:

  • Does Chapter 1 adequately reflect the current situation of malnutrition and its related causes and impacts, particularly in line with the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda? What are the underlying problems that currently hinder food systems to deliver healthy diets?
  • What should be the guiding principles to promote sustainable food systems that improve nutrition and enable healthy diets? What are your comments about the principles outlined in Chapter 2? Are they the most appropriate for your national/regional contexts?
  • In consideration of the policy areas identified in Chapter 3 and the enabling factors suggested in paragraph 41 of the Zero Draft, what policy entry points should be covered in Chapter 3, taking into account the need to foster policy coherence and address policy fragmentation?
  • Can you provide specific examples of new policies, interventions, initiatives, alliances and institutional arrangements which should be considered, as well as challenges, constraints, and trade-offs relevant to the three constituent elements of food systems presented in Chapter 3? In your view, what would the “ideal” food system look like, and what targets/metrics can help guide policy-making?
  • How would these Voluntary Guidelines be most useful for different stakeholders, especially at national and regional levels, once endorsed by CFS? 
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Online consultation – CFS policy process on the development of the Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition

Open until: 

The Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and the FSN Forum are pleased to invite you to take part in the online consultation CFS policy process on the development of the Voluntary Guidelines on Food Systems and Nutrition. 

You are invited to share your comments on the V0 Draft of the Voluntary Guidelines. Your inputs will feed into the preparation of the first draft, which will be negotiated in spring 2020. 

Further information is available online in English, French and Spanish. In preparing your contribution we kindly ask you to use the template for submissions, which is also available in English, French and Spanish.

To submit your contribution, you can upload your completed template as an attachment to your comment on the FSN Forum website or send it to FSN-moderator@fao.org.

The consultation will be open until 2 August 2019.

 

The e-consultation outcomes will contribute to the preparation of the First Draft of the Voluntary Guidelines, which will be negotiated in spring 2020. The final version of the Voluntary Guidelines will be then presented for consideration and endorsement by the CFS Plenary at its 47th Session in October 2020.

Through this e-consultation, CFS stakeholders are kindly invited to answer the following guiding questions using the proposed template:

  • Does Chapter 1 adequately reflect the current situation of malnutrition and its related causes and impacts, particularly in line with the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda? What are the underlying problems that currently hinder food systems to deliver healthy diets?
  • What should be the guiding principles to promote sustainable food systems that improve nutrition and enable healthy diets? What are your comments about the principles outlined in Chapter 2? Are they the most appropriate for your national/regional contexts?
  • In consideration of the policy areas identified in Chapter 3 and the enabling factors suggested in paragraph 41 of the Zero Draft, what policy entry points should be covered in Chapter 3, taking into account the need to foster policy coherence and address policy fragmentation?
  • Can you provide specific examples of new policies, interventions, initiatives, alliances and institutional arrangements which should be considered, as well as challenges, constraints, and trade-offs relevant to the three constituent elements of food systems presented in Chapter 3? In your view, what would the “ideal” food system look like, and what targets/metrics can help guide policy-making?
  • How would these Voluntary Guidelines be most useful for different stakeholders, especially at national and regional levels, once endorsed by CFS? 
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FAO Conference – 41st Session

22-29 June 2019
Rome, Italy

The purpose of the FAO Conference is to determine the policy and approve the budget of the Organization and to exercise the other powers conferred upon it by the Constitution, to make recommendations to Member Nations and Associate Members concerning questions relating to food and agriculture, in order for them to be reviewed and implemented through national action; to make recommendations to any international organization regarding any matter pertaining to the purposes of the Organization (Article IV of the Constitution).

The Conference is the sovereign Governing Body of the Organization. It comprises all Members and Associate Members.

During the 41st session of the FAO Conference, FAO's new director-general will be elected by the Organization's member countries. The election will take place at headquarters on Sunday 23 June, and on 1 August, the new director-general will begin their term, which will run for four years until 31 July 2023.

List of documents

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SDGs Dashboard

The SDGs Dashboard, launched by iTechMission, is a data-driven initiative that supports tracking and monitoring of the SDGs. This practical tool supports data monitoring and reporting of the SDGs and enables a broad range of stakeholders to track SDGs performance and enable analysis based on innovative visualizations and tools for exploring data from global data sources. This resource is an initiative to engage and align all UN and government agencies towards evidence based decisions and data insights. It is a fully customizable cloud-based open source dashboard and can be adapted by any country to track, monitor and report data on goals most critical to them. 

iTech Mission an ISO certified social enterprise.

This video gives a quick overview of the Dashboard.

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Global Launch Webinar – Collaborative Framework for Food Systems Transformation

18 June, from 16:00 to 17:00 (CET)

UN Environment, in collaboration with the One Planet Network Sustainable Food Systems Programme, is launching a  Collaborative Framework for Food Systems Transformation a decision-making tool for food systems actors.  

You can learn more about this Framework by joining the Global Launch Webinar that will take place on 18 June 2019, from 16h to 17h (CET)

Please register at:  https://wwf.zoom.us/meeting/register/d23e2c042559f6158c34be5db4a05ad8

About the Collaborative Framework for Food Systems Transformation

The Collaborative Framework for Food Systems Transformation explains how governments and stakeholders, at national or local levels, can apply a food systems approach to policymaking and implementation. The publication suggests practical and easy-to-follow actions for performing analyses of food systems, expanding or reorienting existing activities, integrating policy interventions, and building effective food systems governance.

The publication is enriched with eight cases studies that provide insight into how the principles and actions discussed in the document have been partially implemented in practice.

The Framework is an output of the One Planet Network Sustainable Food Systems Programme and contributes to the Programme’s objective to support countries to shift towards sustainable food systems, and to comply with international commitments, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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Collaborative Framework for Food Systems Transformation

The Collaborative Framework for Food Systems Transformation explains how governments and stakeholders, at national or local levels, can apply a food systems approach to policymaking and implementation. The publication suggests practical and easy-to-follow actions for performing analyses of food systems, expanding or reorienting existing activities, integrating policy interventions, and building effective food systems governance.

The publication is enriched with eight cases studies that provide insight into how the principles and actions discussed in the document have been partially implemented in practice.

The Framework is an output of the One Planet Network Sustainable Food Systems Programme and contributes to the Programme’s objective to support countries to shift towards sustainable food systems, and to comply with international commitments, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The recordings of the launch event are available on the One Planet Network website.

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50th Sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies

17-27 June 2019
World Conference Center Bonn
Bonn, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

We will update this page as more information becomes available.

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Roundtable: High Impact and Underrepresented Nutrition Sensitive Food Systems in South Asia

17-18 June , 2019
Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, Bangkok (Thailand)

The Roundtable will draw on the latest evidence and experience from current nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific programs and will explore the implications for promoting high impact and underrepresented nutrition sensitive food systems including fish agrifood systems and solutions, other animal sourced foods, and new and old heritage crops. The event will also explore the advantages of leveraging public-private partnerships and technologies to encourage high impact nutrition sensitive food systems.
Target participants will be policy makers at national and subnational levels, who are responsible for addressing malnutrition for their government.
In addition, civil society and nutrition-focused organizations (SUN, SNV, Nutrition International, GAIN, etc.), donor organizations (DFID, EC, DFAT, USAID, etc.), relevant UN organizations (UNICEF, WFP, WHO, FAO, UNDP), international and regional NGOs (SUN, GFAR, SAARC, etc.), research institutions (WorldFish, ICRISAT, IFPRI, etc.), and others will be present.

This event is organized by the South Asia Food and Nutrition Security Initiative (SAFANSI).

#FoodwithImpact #NutritionDecade

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Concept note – Mid-term Review of the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition

In April 2016, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2016-2025 the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition through Resolution 70/259.
In April 2018, a first report giving an overview of progress made in implementing the Decade was submitted to the General Assembly by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Paragraph 91 of this report elicited that the Decade’s Work Programme provides for the convening of dialogues among all stakeholders to review progress in implementing the Decade at mid-term and at the end of the Decade, in consultation with Member States as to the format and modalities of such reviews.

This document addresses proposed objectives, content, process and format for the Mid-term Review (MTR) of the Decade.

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